Stamp-affixer.



PATENTED OCT. 6, 1903.

J. OLSEN. STAMP AFFIXER. APPLIOATIQN FILED ($1.30, 1902! 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MOIIEL.

I. MAI/MENTOR /5572 02am WITNESSES:

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UNITED Sntrns Eatented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE;

STAMP-AFFIXER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,901, dated October 6, 1903. Application filed October 30, 1902. Serial No. I29,398. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN OLSEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey.

City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Im-. proved Stamp-Afiixer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in stamp-affixers; and the'object that I have in view is the provision of a simple and inexpensive device by which stamps may be easily and rapidlyapplied to letters and other pieces of mail-matter, the stamps being moistened, cut, and pressed in proper sequence to securely affix them.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stampaffixer constructed in accordance with my in-v vention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the implement. Fig. 3 is a plan view with a part of the spindle in hori- 'zontal section, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 4;

and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line 4 4: of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrow. I

In carrying my invention into practice I employ a flat base 5, which is equipped with a well or receptacle 6, adapted to contain water or other liquid for the purpose of moistening the stamps. On the base 5 is fitted or secured a casing 7, which may be of any preferred shape and construction. As shown, this casing fits rem ovably to the base, so as to inclose the well 6, and said casing is held in position by means of springs 8, provided with studs 9, (indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 1,) said studs adapted to pass through the casing 7 and to enter sockets in the well or on the base. The casing is provided at one end with upstanding plates 10, which afiord bearings for the shaft 11, on which is loosely mounted a reel or spindle 12, the latter adapted to carry a fabric strip 13 and the rows of stamps.

eled to a cutting edge;

way to the pressure-plate.

The upper part or top plate of the casing 7 is fashioned to provide a ledge 14 and a horizontal portion 15, the latter serving as the bed on which the letters are adapted to be placed, and in the depending portion 14 is formed a horizontal slot 16, the latter being in a plane above the top face of the bed 15, as shown more clearly by Figs. 1 and 4.

17 designates a pressure-plate which is loosely hung on a horizontal shaft 18, thatis supported by lugs or ears 19, the latter being integral with the casing 7 and disposed at one side of the pressure-bed 15. This pressureplate 17 is adapted to cooperate with the bed for the purpose of exerting pressure upon the stamp and the piece of mail-matter, and said pressure-plateis normally raised to the inclined position (shown more clearly by Figs. 1, 2, and by means of a suitable spring, to be presently described. The movable pressure-plate 17 is arranged to traverse the slot 16 in the depending portion or ofiset 1d of the casing, and the inner edge of this pressure-plate is provided with a knife or'cutter the pressure-plate, said rib or lip being bevbut the cutter may be made of a separate piece of metal-as, for example, steel-and attached in .a suitable The means for actuating the cutter will be'presently described.

The bed 15 is provided just below the slot 16 in the depending ledge 14 with a vertical slot 15", arranged in the path of the cutter 20, so as to receive the latter when the pressure-plate is forced downward to press the stamp on the envelop.

21 designates a take-up spool, having a shaft 22 journaled in the casing 7 below the reel 12 and at one side of the well 6. (See Fig. 2.) The shaft 22 of this take-up spool is extended or prolonged through one side of the casing, so as to terminate Within a side compartment 7*, which is provided along one side of the casing, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4;. On the extended end of this shaft 22 is secured a spur gear-wheel 23, (indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3,) and this spur-gear has intermeshing engagement with a spurgear 24, the latter being secured to one end of ,20. Said cutter is formed by a rib or lip whichis integral with one edge portion of the shaft 25 of the moistening-roller 26. This moistening-roller is arranged in the chamber or compartment of the water-Well 6, and said roller is covered by a jacket offabric or other absorbent material, (indicated at 27.) The jacket of the roller is immersed in the liquid contained in the well 6 in order to keep it in a saturated condition, and the peripheral surface of this jacketed roller is disposed in the path of the stamps as they are fed through the slot 16 into position beneath the plate 17 for application thereby to thepiece of mailmatter which may rest on the pressure-bed 15.

28 designates a vertical spindle which is stepped or otherwise mounted on the top of the casing 7, and with the lower part of this spindle engages a bracket 29, which is attached to the casing and serves to steady the spindle in position. Said lower part of the spindle is provided with a spur-gear 30, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth on the gear 24 of the moistening-roller, and this spindle 28 is adapted to be turned by hand in order to rotate the gear 30, which in turn drives the gear 24 of the moistening-roller, and said lastmentioned gear drives the gear 23 for the purpose of rotating the take-upspool 22, on which is adapted to be coiled the tape 13, carrying the stamp strip or roll. This tape 13 and the stamp-strip resting thereon are adapted to pass beneathan idle guide-roller 31, which is journaled in the plates 10 of the casing at a pointbetween theshaftsll and 25ofthesupply spool or reel and the moistening-roller, respectively. After passing beneath this guide roller 31 the tape passes around a guide 32, which is secured in the casing ata point close to the periphery of the moistening-roller, and from this guide 32 the tape passes to the takeup spool 21, on which it is adapted to be coiled by the action of the gearing when the spindle 28 is turned.

33 designates a knob or handle which is provided with a depending sleeve 34, the latter being fitted loosely on the upper end of the spindle 28, so as to be capable of a limited travel thereon in a vertical direction; but this sleeve and the spindle are operatively connected by means of a key 35, which is attached to the spindle and is arranged to play in a slot 36, which is formed in the sleeve. (See Fig. 3.) It is evident that the knob and the sleeve may be pressed downwardly for a distance permitted by the longitudinal slot 36; but when the knob is turned the sleeve and the key will impart rotary motion to the spindle 28.

37 designates a slide which is provided at its lower end with a perforated ear 38 and at its upper end with a short sleeve 39. The ear 38 is fitted loosely on the spindle 28, while the short sleeve 39 of the slide is fitted loosely on the-sleeve 34 of the knob, said slide 37 being thus capable of a limited movement vertically on the spindle 28 and the sleeve 34 of the knob. This slide 37 is normally held in a raised position by a coiled spring 40, which the slide 37, the knob 33, and the sleeve 34 will press the link 41 downwardly, and this link will in turn depress the pressure-plate 17, so as to make the blade 20 sever the stamp and cause the plate 17 to press the cut and moistened stamp upon the mail-matter.

In operation the stamps are cut into strips or rows and laid between the convolutions of the tape 13, the latter being coiled on the supply spool or reel 12, led beneath the roller 31, around the guide 32, and coiled on the take-up spool 21. The stamp passes between the top of the casing and the moisteningjacket of the roll26, and this stamp is adapted to be projected through the slot 16, so as to lie beneath the pressure-plate 17 and over the bed 15. The feed movement is given to the stamp-strip by turning the knob 33, the sleeve 34, and the spindle 28, thus actuating the gears 30, 24, and 23 to rotate the moisteningroll and the take-up spool. After the stamp shall have been fed the proper distance over the piece of mail-matter resting on the bed 15 the operator ceases to turn the knob 33 and presses downwardly on said knob in order to lower the slide 37 against the energy of the spring 40. This depression of the slide 37actuates the link 41, and the plate 17 is pressed upon the stamp, so as to securely affix the latter to the mail-matter. The removal of pressure from the knob V 33 allows the spring 40 to lift the slide 37, the sleeve 34, and the knob, and this upward movement of the slide pulls the'link 41 and the pressureplate 17 to their normal raised positions.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a stamp-affixer, the combination of a pressure device, means for feeding stamps into the path of the pressure device, a reciprocable and re voluble operating device, means for connecting said operating device with the pressure device to move the latter on the reciprocating movement of the operating device, and other devices connecting the operating device with the stamp-feed mechanism to actuate the latter by the rotary movement of the operating device.

2. In a stamp-affixer, the combination of a pressure device, means for feeding stamps into the path of said pressure device, a recip rocable and revoluble handle, a gear-train connecting the stamp-feed mechanism with said handle and adapted to communicate the rotary motion ofthe latter to said stamp-feed mechanism, and connections between the handle and the pressure device for moving the latter on the reciprocating movement of the handle.

3. Astamp-aflixer comprising a casing having a bed and a stamp-slot, a moistener adjacent to said slot, supply andtake-up spools, a guide situated adjacent to said moistener, a stamp-tape extending from one spool to the other and held by said guide adjacent to the moistener, whereby stamps may be projected bythe tape across the moistener and through the stamp-slot, a pressure device, and a revolnble and reciprocable handle connected by intermediate devices with the take-up spool and with the pressure device.

4. A stamp-afiixer comprising a casing having a feed-slot and a pressure-bed, a moistening device,astamp-feed mechanism having supply and take-up spools arranged to feed a stamp across the moistener and through said stamp-slot, a pressure-plate cooperating with said pressure-bed, a fixed spindle, a reciprocable and revoluble handle on said spindle, and separate connections for rotating the take-up spool and for positively depressing the pressure-plate by the movements of said handle.

5. Astamp-afixer comprising a moistening device, a pressure-bed, a movable pressureplate, a supply-spool havingva feed-tape, a take-up spool on which said feed-tape is coiled, an operating-spindle geared to said take-up spool, and a handle operatively connected with said spindle to rotate the latter and with the pressure plate to positively move the same.

6. Astamp-affixer comprisinga casing having a moistening device and a pressure-bed, a hinged pressure-plate, supply and take-up spools supporting a feed tape, a spindle geared to said take-up spool, a handle slidably fitted on the spindle and keyed thereto for rotating the same, a spring-actuated slide fitted to the spindle and the handle to be movable endwise with the latter, and a link connecting said slide and the pressure-plate.

7. A stamp-affixer comprisinga casing having a pressure-bed and a feed-slot, a moisteningdevice within said casing, supply and takeup spools. mounted in said casing, a spindle geared to the moistening device and the takeup spool to positively rotate the same, a pressure-plate cooperating with the bed, a handle keyed to said spindle and free to slide thereon, a slide fitted to the spindle and the handle'for. movement with the latter, a spring to normally raise the slide, and connections between the slide and the pressureplate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JOHN OLSEN.

Witnesses: u

ADAM A. Ten, HERMAN BRUGEL. 

